Antisepsis is the destruction or inhibition of growth of microorganisms on living tissue. Antiseptics are the substances that carry out antisepsis. Real understanding of the nature and use of antiseptics was not possible until the discovery of bacteria.

From the earliest times, physicians and healers were aware of the anti-infective and anti-spoilage properties of certain substances. Egyptian embalmers used resins, naphtha, and liquid pitch to decrease body decay, along with oils and spices. The ancient Greeks and Romans recognized the antiseptic properties of wine, oil, and vinegar. Balsam, an antiseptic of both southeast Asia and Peru, came to Europe in medieval times and remained in use in Europe through the 1800s. Turpentine was a favored antiseptic of the Middle Ages.

A thirteenth-century surgeon, Theodoric Borgognoni (1205-1298; Theodoric of Bologna), recommended dressings dipped in wine to ward off the development of pus in wounds. The eminent English physician Sir...